


we're fools loving each other so much

by rosesica



Series: privation is the cause of appetite [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: 'gambling with your obsessed stalker so your crush doesn't get hurt' trope, AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Creepy Ra's al Ghul, Fossil Ra's, M/M, Magic User Tim, Pining, Resurrected Jason Todd, Tim Drake-centric, Witch Tim AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22521751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesica/pseuds/rosesica
Summary: Tim meets up with a cursed Jason in a warehouse, he knows who did it and how to undo it but there's a risk in it. He won't risk his identity and won't risk Jason's safety either.Magic User/Witch Tim AU! Pining but not explicitly described as such.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Ra's al Ghul, Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Series: privation is the cause of appetite [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1611949
Comments: 6
Kudos: 214





	we're fools loving each other so much

**Author's Note:**

> Next installment, I know I said I would go with more lore. But this came up.
> 
> This has happened like a few months after the previous story.

Crouched down, Tim cradled Jason’s head in his hands as he gazed into his cobalt blue eyes which were clouded by some indiscernible fog that anyone would think that it’s not there but Tim would know, those were the eyes of any person who dared cross his mother and who she made pay in her own special way. Tim's mother didn't take traitor's bullshit well, she was prone to making them suffer and making them beg for mercy which she wouldn't give. She saw them as unreliable pests who would cross her in the first instance that they got so she used a particular curse; Tim didn't know it's name but he knew it's effects since his mother made sure to instruct him on how to deal with treason with said curse. The curse consisted on the affected being an empty vessel for as long as the caster wanted, they didn't know that they weren't autonomous of their own bodies anymore; the caster who used this spell in particular -Lady Janet Drake included- would normally use the curse to make sure that they affected wouldn't scream once they were dealt with: Tim remembered his mother cursing a woman who had been found embezzling from the company by his mother’s own sharp eye. Tim remembered the vacant look in the woman's eyes after his mother had casted it, the woman's screams and begging for mercy prior to her cursing, for Janet Drake to let her live and that she would leave and never return and that she would pay every single cent back and of course, Tim remembered his mother's reaction.

_ "What use is the money back from me? I'm certain that you know why even the old decaying corpses from the Director's Board don't bother me nor anger me; because I am not a woman to be trifled with. Money can be earned back but the disrespect that you showed by stealing from my husband, now that can't be paid back." Janet had mused, sitting on the large chair in what was supposed to be his father's solar but they all knew that it was Janet's personal office where she dealt with this kind of things, Tim sat on her lap toying with his mother's pendant and hearing the woman's sniveling sounds trying not to show any sympathy for the woman in front of his mother. Janet allowed Tim to sit in with her during these kind of things to make sure that Tim learned to deal with them in the same way: with no mercy whatsoever.  _

_ Tim once remembered his paternal grandmother, scolding his mother for letting Tim see that kind of things and his father for allowing it; Janet defended her actions by stating: "Timothy not only has your sea magic flowing in his veins, dear Mother in law. He also has my blood, sired by the most powerful demons ever, how could one pretend to raise him sweetly like that? No, my son must be raised in the same ruthlessness to reflect his blood" His grandmother had scoffed and took Tim away from his mother to the gardens instead, reading and singing to him instead. Sometimes Tim missed his grandmother. _

_ Tim remembered what happened to the woman; the curse went into full effect and his mother had whispered her orders to the curse in the woman's ear, at that moment he didn't know what had happened to her but later once he had access to the Bat-Computer, he found out. She had gone to her home, sending her husband and children away to visit their relatives and she later burned her house and with only her inside. Fire breaks the effects of any curse so Tim knew that that woman had died screaming as her skin burnt and her body disfigured itself until it was only able to recognize her through dental records. It was tagged as a suicide case and his mother or the company were never suspected but Bruce had his suspects because it was too morbid of a suicide case to be one.  _

But Tim couldn't let whoever did this to Jason know that he knew, he had his suspicions regarding who did it. "Jason, why aren't you hitting me yet? I'm squishing your face, something that only Alfred can do to you and when you're drunk, you let Cass do too. Why haven't you sucker punched me into next week? I’ve seen you sucker punch Dick and it was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Jason, I think that the film adaptation of The Perfume is the best version of The Perfume; film Grenouille is the creepiest fucker ever and ever since I’ve seen that I wear horrible cologne to dissuade real-life Grenoiulles.” Tim played dumb, hoping that it wasn't who he thought it was. He moved Jason's face side to side "searching" for whatever could be wrong with Jason like a mind control chip or something that would indicate it. Also if Jason was truly conscious then he would’ve laughed in his face and then punch him for praising the film because Jason was like that.

"Detective, I implore you to not act like a fool. It doesn't suit you." And it was who he thought it was, Tim internally groaned and looked over to the other side of the empty warehouse to see Ra's Al Ghul in his stupid green cape acting like he had the upper hand; well he did but Tim wasn't going to let him walk all obnoxious knowing that little fact. He was surrounded by his loyal ninjas who worshipped the ground that Ra's walked on as if he was some kind of God, which he wasn’t; Ra’s was just a creepy immortal man who has an extremely creepy obsession for a minor who doesn’t want to give him his babies. But if only the ninjas couldn actually see that.

"Must say Ra's, that for once in our encounters that I don't know what you mean with that. I know shocker since I almost always know everything." Tim stood, stepping in front of Jason and looking at Ra's right in the eye, what he could from the use of the mask and the lenses.  **Play dumb, play dumb. He won’t notice.**

"Bravado is nice in most cases, Detective. But not when it's in vain and I know your secret." Ra's hummed flicking his arm to indicate that the ninjas were to disperse; not allowing anyone out nor allowing anyone in either. Tim was trapped, like a fucking rat.  **Fuck, he noticed.**

"What secret, Ra's? That I'm who I am? That isn't no secret to any of the inhabitants of the room." Tim snarked back.  **Please don't insinuate that you know, please Universe don't fuck me over like this. Please, I have never asked anything of you eve, I have let you fuck me over countless times by now. Do me this one tiny favor and I’ll stop calling Damian a gremlin and bonus: I’ll tell Kirk to stop bothering him.**

"I'm tired of your blatant refusal when you know what I mean Detective. Or shall I make young Jason a demonstration of what I know?"  **Fuck you, Ra's. After whatever this is, I'm going to destroy your bases. One by one so you don't even know which ones are getting attacked and I'll also burn that stupid cape of yours. Also Universe, I take back the Damian thing.**

"Fine. Don't hurt him. Spit it out then, I know but I know  you enough to know how insufferable you are when you want to be right." Tim's head was reeling on the next step to take. He could always supercede Ra's command over the curse with his own, his mother's blood made this kind of thing easy for Tim but he'd risk Ra's knowing the extent of his magic and Tim wasn't going to give Ra's another reason to be creepy over him. 

"I don't think I've ever seen you this altered, Detective. Does it have to do with your secret or with Jason? It would truly be a shame if it were about the unnatural thing behind you." Ra's mused.  **Jokes on you Ra's, your daughter is the main culprit of the unnatural thing being here in the first place.** "It must be hard for you, to know that you could end this whole affair with a flick of your hand; not even having to murmur an incantation. Yet you refuse to do it; do you refuse to do so just so I won't know your strength? Shame, because I know very well how strong you are Detective and how you waste away every day not realizing your full potential because of the stupid rule ingrained in your mind. However, didn't your mother -Lady Weir- teach you that killing was an obligatory act for you?"

"My mother is dead, has been for the past 5 years. Whatever she taught me were things that she wasn't supposed to teach a child. Those teachings can stay buried 6 feet underground along with her." Tim replied with a neutral tone of voice, trying to hide his disgust of being scolded by someone who had no idea of what he was talking about.

"Now don't lie, Detective. I might not be very involved in the world of those who use magic but I do know that your mother's family doesn't bury their dead."  **I’m not going to allow myself to be lectured over something like this by Ra’s motherfucking Al Ghul; God, I need to stop swearing so often.**

"A burial is a burial. Why does it matter where it is? Now what do you want? I doubt that you came all the way to Gotham to place Jason under a curse, come and brag to my face that you know my deepest secrets and try to lecture me over my family's traditions. You don't see me lecturing you over Talia's inappropriate use of test tube babies." The last part felt childish on Tim's tongue, ashy even as if the words were never meant to be said by his voice. His mother never allowed Tim to be childish in her presence, that must be why. Tim didn't allow himself to be childish, only when wearing the mantle of Robin. The rest of the world wouldn't forgive Tim Drake-Wayne for his childishness but they would forgive Robin for trying to do the best of his situation. 

Tim could override Ra's possession over the curse, it’s simple actually. But even if Ra’s wasn’t that well-versed in magic because it didn't seem like his style; Ra's style was more stabby than using a curse to kill you and he wasn't even the one stabbing, a ninja would be doing that instead. The only thing Ra's could use as connector to allow him to place the curse of Jason was the Lazarus Pit, nothing more, nothing less. But maybe that was enough for Ra's, the pit brought Jason back to life unwillingly and Ra's would put Jason down also unwilling. Also even if Tim managed to sever the connection right now, there was still the slim possibility of Ra's being able to reconnect the curse with Jason so he has to let it run its course.  **Let Ra’s think that I’m out of practice and can’t beat him, when he tells Jason what he wants for the curse I’ll override it. That’ll rupture the bond completely. P.S: start investigating ways to remove the Pit’s influence from Jason in general and also make better and extensive research on the Pit. Maybe there’s some literature back at Drake manor about green pits that bring the dead back to life.**

“I’ll give you an opportunity to join me Detective.”

“For the last time, I’m not interested in joining your cult. Now I know for certain that you didn’t come here all the way, cursed my brother and invite to join your cult after my 80th refusal.” Tim drawled out, realization coming to him but refusing it to be heard in his voice. It wouldn’t give him an edge over Ra’s this time. “You want me to do something, don’t you? If it’s letting your weird sister do some weird Non-Con stuff again then I will personally send you to hell myself. It’s not that hard actually.”

Ra’s chuckled, the tone was deep and it had a hint of mirth in the action. “No Detective, nothing of that sort. I would like to have you or any offspring of yours as my heir as willingly as possible, the Demon’s Head is no position to be taken sadly. No, you see I have been searching for something that was stolen from me approximately since the 12th century. I’ve heard certain reports regarding its whereabouts and the kind of people who bear the ownership of my lost item; it’s power is certainly greater than the Lazarus Pit’s in terms of regeneration and resurrection, it even brings one back without unnecessary aggression. I only had it briefly, I didn’t even have the time to use it before it was stolen from my possession.”

“Let me get this clear: you want me to find a lost artifact of yours that’s been stolen for like 9 centuries and if I don’t comply then you’ll curse my brother to throw himself off the tallest building in Gotham, did I miss anything?” Tim would have to perform a blood magic ritual to disconnect the curse but that would be done once Ra’s left Tim’s immediate vicinity,  **let him think that he still has an influence over Jason.**

“Exactly Detective. You already understand so I don’t see why it’s so hard for you to join me.” Tim rolled his eyes.

“Let me start on the weekend, let your ninjas put the information in one of my safehouses. I know that you know where they all are.” Tim mused, looking at Ra’s with nonchalance. 

“Such efficiency Detective. I expect nothing less from you.” 

Ra’s walked away with a flair to his cape and soon enough all the ninjas left as well. Jason would soon snap out of it, he wouldn’t feel that time had passed by but still.

“Where the fuck am I?” Tim instantly raised his hands in self defense.  


“In a warehouse close to the docks, you were caught by Ra’s people and they knocked you out with non poisonous gas but I got your back, managed to get you out before Ra’s came in with his stupid cape. Did you do anything to get on Ra’s bad side recently?” Tim hummed as he helped Jason get up and put his helmet back on.

“Haven’t seen that fucker in a long time. Maybe he just hates me.” 

“He hates all of us, mainly Bruce. Want me to assist you in patrolling?” 

  
“Sure why not?”  **One of these days, I’ll perform the ritual to get Ra’s out of your head. Just not today, maybe the day after tomorrow.**

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it, please comment, subscribe, kudos and bookmark.
> 
> Also did I plan all this to make sure that Tim and Jason are involved in a semi sexual tensiony ritual in order to rid themselves of Ra's curse on purpose? We'll never know.


End file.
